These Bright Lights Have Always Blinded Me

I looked up at the skeleton of the T-Rex, feeling even shorter than usual. I huffed and crossed my arms before sitting down and pouting. “Chelsea?” Max asked.

“I feel so short right now,” I replied, “And I’m short as it is!”

He sat down next to me on the ground and said, “Don’t worry. You’re my short girl.” He kissed my cheek and said, “Come on now. Let’s go to the space exhibit. We can even go to the planetarium.”

I smiled. “Yay. Let’s go,” I said standing up. He stood up next to me and the two of us started walking.

“Chelzers! Where are you going?” Ali asked.

“Space exhibit! I wanna go to the planetarium!” I replied.

“Oh hell yeah! Come on Craig! Let’s go!” I heard Ali exclaim. We continued walking when Ali and Craig caught up with us.

“Hi Alikina,” I said as Max wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

“Hi Chelzers,” she said when we saw a group of girls from our class at the Native American exhibit. They looked over and saw us. Ah shit. It’s Rachel and Shaunee, Kat’s best friends. Fuck. And Rachel’s the reason why Tom’s not aloud to talk to me.

I rolled my eyes and inwardly started cussing a storm as the two of them walked over to us. “Look Shaunee,” Rachel started, “It’s Max and Craig from Escape the Fate.”

“Hey guys. What are you doing with them?” Shaunee asked motioning to Ali and me.

“Well,” Max started, “We’re just on our way to the planetarium.”

“Cool,” Rachel said, “Do you guys wanna hang out afterwards with us? We could show you a real good time.”

That bitch. “We’re busy the rest of the day,” Ali told her.

“Well, when do you guys think you can get away from them,” Shaunee asked them, not taking her eyes off of Max.

“Look,” I said, “they don’t want to hang out with you guys. Get it? Got it? Good.”

“And you know this why?” Shaunee asked, “We weren’t even talking to you. This doesn’t concern you.”

“But you’re looking at my boyfriend like he’s a piece of meat. And I’m gonna tell you right now: it ain’t gonna fly. So, if you don’t mind, Ali, Craig, Max, and I are going to the planetarium. And don’t think about hitting on Craig either. He’s Ali’s boyfriend,” I said. Boy was I pissed.

The two girls started laughing when Max crashed his lips onto mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck when we heard them hastily walk away. I broke the kiss and said, “Well, that was fun. Let’s do it again.”

He laughed and said, “Yo Craig, if you two are going to suck face like that, please get a room. Damn.”

I looked over just as Craig and Ali stopped kissing. Ali blushed and I said, “So, I say we go to the planetarium and then back to my place for some swimming. Sound fun?”

Everyone nodded and we started towards the planetarium. Max grabbed my hand and we let Craig and Ali walk a bit ahead of us when Max kissed me again. He rested his forehead against mine and said, “I’m proud of you Chelsea.”

I smiled and kissed him. “Come on before Ali and Craig think we’re screwing,” I said.

He laughed. “Yeah because we so would screw in a children’s museum. I mean, what can I say? It’s kinky.”

I face-palmed myself. “Come on Maxi,” I said.

He smiled and started playing with one of his lip rings with his tongue. “Fine. We can look at the stars and then go swimming,” he said.

“Yay stars,” I said before grabbing his hand and dragging him to catch up with Craig and Ali.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We were swimming around in the pool. Ali and Craig were splashing each other and Max was sitting on the edge of the pool in his boxers. Yep. He actually wore pants loose enough to wear boxers. Oh well. He still looks good.

I was swimming laps up and down the pool when I heard Frank say, “Hey guys. Having fun without us?”

I looked to see Frank, Gerard, and Bill. I stopped swimming and waved. “Hi bubby! Hi Retard Gee-rard and Billa!” I said.

They laughed. “What?” I asked before swimming over to Max, “Come on baby. Get in with me,” I said.

He shrugged and slid in the water. I splashed him just as Frank, Gerard, and Bill jumped in. “I say we play a game,” Gerard suggested.

“No drunk chicken! I hurt my head last time,” I said as Max wrapped his arms around me from behind.

“I was thinking Marco Polo. And, since you’re my little sister boyfriend Max, you’re Marco. So suck it!” Frank said.

“Hey! I thought that was my job!” I said jokingly.

The color in Frank’s face drained and his jaw dropped. “Just kidding Frank. The only things that are in my mouth are food, my tongue, and my teeth,” I told him.

“And Max’s huge dick!” Ali yelled.

“That’s a lie! Lie I tell you! I haven’t even seen Max’s dick thank you!” I yelled back at her.

“But you want to!” Craig yelled.

“Don’t encourage her damn it!” I yelled at him.

I treaded water while pouting. “I’m sorry Chelzers,” Ali said.

“Go suck Craig’s dick,” I said.

Ali shrugged before going underwater. “Whoa Ali! I was kidding!” I yelled.

She surfaced. “I know,” she said.

“Well fuck,” Craig said.

“Sorry about ruining your chance of getting head. Ali can make it up to you later,” I told him.

Ali rolled her eyes. “Where’s our game of Marco Polo?” she asked.

“Right here,” Frank replied, “Max’s is just stalling because he doesn’t want to admit he’s Marco.”

Max sighed. “Fine. I guess I have to let go of Chelsea. For now,” he said before trying to laugh evilly. He unwrapped his arms around me before closing his eyes.

I immediately swam over to Bill. “Hey Bill,” I said.

“Hallo Chella. You swim really fast. Are you on the swim team?” he asked.

I shook my head when Max shouted out, “Marco!”

“Polo!” everyone else shouted back.

I looked at Bill as we swam around. “But nah. I’m not big on school sports. I like to swim at my own pace,” I told him.

“Marco!” Max yelled, getting close to Frank.

“Polo,” we shouted back.

“How many laps can you swim in an hour?” he asked.

“Marco!” Max shouted getting near me. Oh shit.

“Polo,” we shouted before I went underwater and surfaced on the other side of Max.

Bill followed and I replied, “I can swim thirty in a half an hour. That’s straight swimming too.”

“Wow,” he said, “You should do swimming.”

“Marco!” Max shouted near me.

“Polo,” we shouted.

“I don’t know Bill. I usually only swim with family and friends. I normally don’t swim with a boyfriend on the ground that I hate how I look in a swimsuit,” I told him.

He opened his mouth to say something when I felt arms wrap their way around me. “Marco,” Max said.

I turned around to face him. “Polo,” I told him.

He opened his eyes and said, “Yes. I got you. What are you going to do now?”

I shrugged before kissing him on the lips. “That,” I replied.

He kissed my nose and whispered, “You look amazing in your swimsuit.”

I blushed and looked at my black and hot pink two piece bikini. “Yeah right,” I whispered sarcastically.

“I bet I can get five guys to agree with me,” he said.

“Agree with what?” Frank asked.

“That Chelsea looks good in her bikini,” Max said.

“Dude Chelzers you look awesome in that!” Ali said.

I rolled my eyes. “Okay. Bill, your thoughts?” Max asked.

“You look pretty in it,” Bill told me.

Cue eye roll. “Gerard?” Max asked.

“I’m agreeing with the other two losers,” Gerard said.

Again, cue eye roll. “If you don’t stop rolling your eyes I’m going to tickle you,” Max said.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine,” Max said before he started tickling me.

“Max! Stop!” I said laughing, “Come on baby please!”

“Will you quit rolling your eyes every time someone agrees with me about that fact that you look amazing in your bikini?” he asked.

I nodded and he stopped. His hands left me and I started going under. Max lifted me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I nodded wiping the wet hair out of my face. “I’m fine baby,” I replied unwrapping my legs from around his waist.

He smiled before saying, “Good. Because I think Frank would kill me if you weren’t.”

“Bet your ass,” Frank replied.

“Frank, be nice to my boyfriend,” I said, “You might scare him off.”

He grumbled something along the lines of, “I wish I would have the last one.”

I looked at Max and pecked his nose. He shook his head when Craig said, “Shit! I have to head back. The babysitter for Leila’s leaving in five minutes. Ali, would you like to join?”

I looked over and saw Ali nod. The two of them got out of the pool and dried off before waving bye.

They left and Bill said, “Scheisse. I need to get back home. Tom’s there by himself and I have to make sure he doesn’t burn the house down.”

I laughed and hugged Bill. “Later Billa. Have fun,” I said.

He nodded swam to the edge before hoisting himself out of the water. Gerard looked at Frank and said, “Wanna go to the movie man? There’s a new Dracula movie out that I want to see.”

Frank nodded. He looked at me and Max. “Keep it in the pants,” was all Frank said before hoisting himself out of the pool, Gerard right behind him.

They walked inside and Max said, “I think he’s going to kill me someday.”

“Just don’t pull a…well, you know what I mean,” I said, having trouble saying his name.

Max hugged me. “There’s no way he can get you. I promise. He may have been my best friend, but doesn’t mean what he did was right. He probably hates me now, but I don’t care. I’d rather have him hate me than you still with him,” he told me.

I smiled a small smile. “I’m glad you guys are here. I would probably be more miserable about Tom if you guys weren’t around trying to make me happy,” I told him, “Thanks for sticking around.”

“You’re welcome Chelsea,” he said before kissing me lightly on the lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back. One of his hands went to cup my face and his other rested on my hip, pulling me closer to him. I was sandwiched between the pool wall and Max when my phone started ringing an unfamiliar ringtone. I broke the kiss and looked at my phone to see that it was a private number. I slid it open and put it on speaker. “Hello?” I asked.

There was silence before whoever it was hung up. “Okay?” I asked before sliding my phone closed. I looked at Max and asked, “Well, where were we?”

He smiled before kissing me again, his hands resting on my hips.